Novels by Melanie96

A few days later The morning was gray and overcast, mirroring my mood as I sat on the edge of the hospital bed, waiting for the nurse to finish my discharge papers. It had been a few days since the… incident, and while my injuries were minor and healed faster than expected. However, the emotional toll lingered like a storm cloud over my head. For one, my parents still refused to talk about me returning to work. Every time I tried to broach the topic, Mom expertly dodged the conversation, changing the subject like a seasoned politician. After the third attempt ended in frustration, Ryan pulled me aside and advised me to wait until I wasn’t sitting in a hospital bed to bring it up again. “They’re just worried about you, Anna,” he said. “Let them see you’re okay first.” I hated to admit he was right. But what really stung—what made my chest tighten every time I thought about it—was that Alaric hadn’t called, texted, or even stopped by. Not once. I thought we were friends—or at l

beep beepA steady beeping sound drew me out of a deep fog. Blinking slowly, I was met with an expanse of white, sterile walls, and a bright overhead light. It took a moment for reality to settle in—I was in a hospital.I looked around, taking in the faint hum of machines and the faint antiseptic smell. My gaze dropped to my arm, where tubes and wires connected me to the beeping monitor. Confusion mingled with an ache in my shoulder as I struggled to sit up.The movement sent a sharp jolt of pain through my shoulder, making me wince. It wasn’t unbearable, but it was enough to slow me down. I was still fighting to prop myself up when the door opened. For some strange reason, my heart lurched, and I found myself hoping it was Alaric. The flash of disappointment that followed seeing my brother startled me—why had I wanted it to be him? Maybe I just needed to know he was okay after everything. “Anna!” my brother called out, his voice full of relief as he rushed to my side. His happiness

“Anna, wake up.”I groaned, still half-asleep, and rolled over, but the urgency in Alaric’s voice pulled me from my slumber. His hands gripped my shoulder, shaking me firmly. “What? What’s going on?” I mumbled groggily, blinking up at him. He pressed a finger to his lips, signalling for me to be quiet, and then pointed toward the door. My heart jumped as I strained my ears, and the faint sound of scuffling reached me. The haze of sleep vanished instantly. I sat up, now wide awake, as the muffled noise became clearer—footsteps, voices. My eyes darted to Alaric, who had his finger on the trigger of his gun, his expression tense. Swallowing hard, I grabbed the pistol he’d given me, my hands trembling slightly. I released the safety with a soft click, the sound unnervingly loud in the otherwise quiet cabin. The voices outside grew louder, more distinct. “Are you sure they’re in there?” one of them asked, his tone irritated. “They can’t have gone far,” another replied, sounding confi

Alaric took off his jacket, his movements precise as he tore a piece from it. Without a word, he knelt down again and began to gently clean my legs with the makeshift cloth. “Alaric, you don’t have to do this,” I protested, trying to pull my legs away, but he held firm, his gaze unwavering. “I want to,” he said simply, his voice steady. There was something in his tone that silenced me. He worked carefully, wiping away the blood and dirt. Every now and then, his hands would pause as if checking to make sure he wasn’t hurting me. When he finished, he tore the rest of his jacket into two longer strips and wrapped them around my feet, securing them snugly. The material provided an immediate sense of relief, dulling the sting from the cuts and scratches. “There,” he said, standing up and looking down at me with a small, reassuring smile. “That should help with the pain for now." “Thank you,” I murmured, feeling a mix of gratitude and guilt for how much he was doing for me. He seemed

We ran as fast as we could, weaving through the dense forest. The trees and underbrush were thick, making it hard for anyone to track us. After what felt like an eternity, the sound of footsteps chasing us faded away. We slowed, trying to catch our breath. “We lost them,” Alaric said, his sharp gaze scanning the area. “But we need to keep moving. They might double back or spread out." Though my lungs burned and my legs screamed for rest, I nodded. “Okay,” I managed, determined not to slow him down. After a while, Alaric glanced at me. “You’re exhausted,” he said, his voice softer now. “Let’s rest for a few minutes." “No,” I shook my head firmly, even though my body ached to agree. “If we stop, they might catch up. I can keep going." Alaric’s lips pressed into a line, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. “Fine,” he said after a moment, “but you’re not doing this alone." Before I could protest, he stepped closer, gently grabbing my arm and positioning me so I leaned against him. “

As we drove through the countryside, the silence in the car grew heavier. I shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Alaric, who was focused on the road, his expression unreadable. To break the tension, I asked, "Mind if I put on some music?" He nodded without looking away from the road. "Go ahead." I turned on the radio and flipped through stations until I landed on a pop song I adored. A smile spread across my face as I began to sing along softly. The upbeat melody lifted my spirits, and for a moment, it felt like the world outside didn’t matter. When the song ended, I realized how absorbed I had been and glanced at Alaric. He was watching me out of the corner of his eye, an amused expression tugging at his lips. Embarrassment flooded me. "Sorry, that was… very inappropriate," I mumbled, fiddling with the hem of my blouse. To my surprise, he chuckled. "Don’t apologize. It was… refreshing." I blinked at him, caught off guard by his words. "Refreshing?" He nodded. "It’s nice to